Smell the Glove
Encyclopedia
Smell the Glove is the name of a fictional album by the mock heavy-metal band Spinal Tap
in the movie This Is Spinal Tap
. It was released by Polymer Records (a parody of Polydor, who released the movie's real-life soundtrack album).
), featured "a greased, naked woman on all fours with a dog collar
around her neck and a leash
, and a man's arm extended out...holding on to the leash and pushing a black glove in her face to sniff it." Fleckmann suggests that the cover is sexist, leading Nigel Tufnel
to wonder, "what's wrong with being sexy?" The production company, Polymer Records, ultimately refused to release the cover because of pressure from retailers such as Sears and Kmart
and gave the album a solid black cover instead.
Upon learning of the concerns of Polymer, David St. Hubbins
said, "You know, if we were serious and we said, ‘Yes, she should be forced to smell the glove,’ then you’d have a point, but it’s all a joke." Bandmate Nigel Tufnel
replied, "It is and it isn’t. She should be made to smell it, but..." which David clarified with the statement, "But not, you know, over and over."
Spinal Tap manager Ian Faith claimed to have censored the album himself, saying "You should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn't a glove, believe me!" The black sleeve prompted guitarist Nigel Tufnel
to utter the now-famous quote, "It's like, 'how much more black could this be?' and the answer is 'None. None more black.'" In an early piece of publicity for the film, a 1982 ad in Billboard magazine plugged the album and displayed the original "naked woman" cover. Tap returned to this idea in 1992 with the picture sleeve from the promo CD of Bitch School, which pictured a woman dressed in black vinyl with a mortarboard.
's 1979 album Lovehunter
.
Status Quo's Hello!
, The Beatles
' Past Masters, Prince's
The Black Album, The Root's Organix
, AC/DC's
Back In Black
, The Damned's The Black Album and Peter Hammill's
A Black Box
. The three latter examples were released in 1980 and were successful around the time the film was being developed. However, The Velvet Underground
's 1968 release White Light/White Heat
was probably the first album to spark this trend. Another example is Metallica
's self-titled
5th album (often referred to as "the Black Album"). The members of Spinal Tap made pointed references to this when they appeared in Metallica's long form video A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
. In the scene, they humorously confront the members of Metallica; "We need to talk about the black album." In another scene in the Metallica video, the band members are shown working in the studio when the test graphics for their album art arrive for their approval. James Hetfield
can be heard muttering the words, "None more black."
Spinal Tap (band)
Spinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
in the movie This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
. It was released by Polymer Records (a parody of Polydor, who released the movie's real-life soundtrack album).
Cover sleeve art
In the mockumentary, the original cover, according to recording company representative Bobbi Fleckmann (played by Fran DrescherFran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
), featured "a greased, naked woman on all fours with a dog collar
Dog collar
A dog collar is a is a piece of material put around the neck of a dog. A collar might be used for control, identification, fashion, or other purposes. Identification tags and medical information is often placed on dog collars. Collars are also useful for controlling a dog manually, as they provide...
around her neck and a leash
Leash
A leash is a rope or similar material attached to the neck or head of an animal for restraint or control...
, and a man's arm extended out...holding on to the leash and pushing a black glove in her face to sniff it." Fleckmann suggests that the cover is sexist, leading Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel was the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap featured in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest.-Character biography:...
to wonder, "what's wrong with being sexy?" The production company, Polymer Records, ultimately refused to release the cover because of pressure from retailers such as Sears and Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
and gave the album a solid black cover instead.
Upon learning of the concerns of Polymer, David St. Hubbins
David St. Hubbins
David Ivor St. Hubbins is a fictional character who is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the mock rock band Spinal Tap, which was the subject of "rockumentary" film This Is Spinal Tap . David is played by actor Michael McKean, who improvised the role through the whole film...
said, "You know, if we were serious and we said, ‘Yes, she should be forced to smell the glove,’ then you’d have a point, but it’s all a joke." Bandmate Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel was the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap featured in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest.-Character biography:...
replied, "It is and it isn’t. She should be made to smell it, but..." which David clarified with the statement, "But not, you know, over and over."
Spinal Tap manager Ian Faith claimed to have censored the album himself, saying "You should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn't a glove, believe me!" The black sleeve prompted guitarist Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel was the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap featured in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest.-Character biography:...
to utter the now-famous quote, "It's like, 'how much more black could this be?' and the answer is 'None. None more black.'" In an early piece of publicity for the film, a 1982 ad in Billboard magazine plugged the album and displayed the original "naked woman" cover. Tap returned to this idea in 1992 with the picture sleeve from the promo CD of Bitch School, which pictured a woman dressed in black vinyl with a mortarboard.
Concept and impact
The cover art - or more specifically the controversy surrounding its imagery - was inspired by similar controversy surrounding WhitesnakeWhitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
's 1979 album Lovehunter
Lovehunter
Lovehunter is the second studio album by the British band Whitesnake, released in 1979. The album charted at #29 on the UK Albums Chart."Long Way from Home", the leading track on the album, was the band's first single but only reached #55 on the UK charts.-Cover art:Lovehunters cover art featuring...
.
Other black sleeves
Real-life albums which feature a completely black (or partially black) cover includeStatus Quo's Hello!
Hello! (Status Quo Album)
Hello! is the sixth studio album by the British rock band, Status Quo. Released in September 1973, it was the first of four Quo albums to top the UK Albums Chart, as well as their first album on which all tracks had been written by the group themselves...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Past Masters, Prince's
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
The Black Album, The Root's Organix
Organix
-External links:* at Discogs...
, AC/DC's
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
Back In Black
Back in Black
Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
, The Damned's The Black Album and Peter Hammill's
Peter Hammill
Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
A Black Box
A Black Box
A Black Box is an album by Peter Hammill, originally released on S-Type Records in August 1980.Hammill performed nearly all the instrumentation himself, including the drum parts, a task he had first undertaken on his previous album pH7...
. The three latter examples were released in 1980 and were successful around the time the film was being developed. However, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
's 1968 release White Light/White Heat
White Light/White Heat
The album briefly appeared on the Billboard 200, although only peaking at number 199. Despite its poor sales, the distorted, feedback-driven, and roughly recorded sound on White Light/White Heat became a notable influence on punk and experimental rock...
was probably the first album to spark this trend. Another example is Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's self-titled
Metallica (album)
Metallica is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Mainly produced by Bob Rock, it was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records to critical acclaim...
5th album (often referred to as "the Black Album"). The members of Spinal Tap made pointed references to this when they appeared in Metallica's long form video A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica is a two-part documentary about the process of making the Metallica album , and the following tour. It was produced by Juliana Roberts and directed by Adam Dubin....
. In the scene, they humorously confront the members of Metallica; "We need to talk about the black album." In another scene in the Metallica video, the band members are shown working in the studio when the test graphics for their album art arrive for their approval. James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
can be heard muttering the words, "None more black."
External links
- The Ultimate Spinal Tap Discography - an illustrated guide to Tap's albums (both real and imagined)
- The actual first Smell the Glove cover, low resolution